If you are listening to this podcast, unless you are my mum or dad, you have probably been bitten by the running bug. It can be hard to describe, and maybe you did not see it coming, like my guest today, but running is addictive, and it will change your life in ways you never imagined.

Sure it gives you toned muscles and the ability to get out of the pouring rain quicker than you would have otherwise, but running gives you so much more than that.

Runners love it when our sport intersects with what is going on in life. We had not had a good running movie in a while….until recently that is.

Unbroken has been a huge hit in cinemas, because it follows the true story of Olympian Louie Zamperini, who survived 47 days in a raft, after his bomber plane crashed into the ocean, and then he spent years as a prisoner of war in Japan.

Many retired elite runners have found meaningful ways to give back to the sport to which they gave so much of themselves.

One such runner is Australian marathoner Rob de Castella.

Known as a fierce competitor who never gave an inch to anyone, Rob raced marathons so hard that he often needed several months after a marathon to fully recover and be ready to race again.

Rob trained in almost exactly the same way under the same coach for the best part of 15 years. His training system is a model for many Australian runners and coaches today.

However, Rob is best known these days for his work with the Indigenous Marathon Project, a program that trains indigenous Australians (or “aborigines”) for races around Australia and ultimately the New York City Marathon.

A few of the topics we discussed included:

The training program that took Rob to World Championship medals and world records in the marathon